A Shy Person's Guide to Making Friends at School

Relationships

Many of us struggle to talk to new people, but meeting new people doesn't have to be scary. Have a look at some of our ideas to help you start building new friendships at school.

1. Use Conversation Starters to Get Chatting: Check out our conversation starters for going back to school.
2. Spend Time with Your Friend's Friends: Hanging out with friends of friends can be a great way to meet new people. It's always less awkward if you have someone to introduce you and something to talk about.
3. Speak to Someone Who's on Their Own: Not only will you be helping someone else who might be in a similar situation to you but it usually feels easier to approach one person than a large group.
4. Look for Common Interests: Having something in common with someone won't automatically make you best friends, but people tend to open up about things they're passionate about.
5. Be Approachable: It's far easier to approach someone who looks like they want to talk to you. Barriers such as wearing earphones and negative body-language might put people off.
6. Ask Open Questions: Open questions are questions that can have a number of responses, whereas closed questions are questions which are limited to a few set answers. When chatting to people try to use open questions to encourage discussion and if you get asked a question try to respond in a way that suggests you're happy to continue a conversation.

If you're looking to build your confidence check out our advice from a confidence coach. Plus, take note from these celebs who didn't let their shyness hold them back.